Gilgit [PoGB], April 6 (ANI): Protests by communities affected by the Diamer-Bhasha Dam intensified on Sunday in Pakistan-occupied Gilgit-Baltistan as demonstrators blocked several sections of the Karakoram Highway (KKH) in Diamer district, Dawn reported. Organisers warned they would march toward the dam construction site if their demands were not met.
The Diamer-Bhasha Dam Land-Affected Committee, under the slogan “Huqooq Do, Dam Banao” (Ensure rights, then build the dam), has held sit-ins in Chilas and Thore for five consecutive days. The agitation began over the non-implementation of an agreement reached last year between the federal government and protesters.
Residents from Chilas, Goner Farm, Goharabad and nearby areas tried to march toward Thore valley to join the sit-in, but police and security forces blocked the KKH near Ghichi and Hudor, stopping convoys from reaching the protest site, Dawn reported. In response, protesters blocked the highway at multiple points, causing major traffic disruptions.
Thousands of passengers traveling between PoGB and other parts of Pakistan were stranded for hours, with long vehicle queues forming along the KKH, Dawn noted.
Addressing demonstrators in Thore, chief organiser Maulana Hazratullah said: “If our convoys are not allowed to reach immediately, we will be forced to move towards the dam site and Thore colony.” He accused the Water and Power Development Authority (Wapda) of obstructing the implementation of the 2025 agreement signed in the presence of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s committee.
Protest leaders said the sit-in would continue until all demands were met, alleging that despite the agreement being over a year old, not a single clause had been implemented—particularly the regularisation of local contingent and contractual workers.
Their 31-point demands reportedly include dam royalty rights for PoGB, free electricity for Diamer, compensation for acquired land, financial support for remaining affected families, local hiring from grade 1 to 16, and infrastructure projects. A seven-member federal committee formed last year to address these grievances has so far failed to deliver results, Dawn earlier reported. (ANI)
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